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Alves e Silva TL, Canepa GE, Sweeney B, Hessab Alvarenga P, Zhao M, Vega-Rodríguez J, Molina-Cruz A, Barillas-Mury C. The heat shock protein Hsc70-3 mediates an anti-apoptotic response critical for Plasmodium evasion of Anopheles gambiae immunity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0094023. [PMID: 37982627 PMCID: PMC10715144 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00940-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Malaria transmission by Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes is very effective, in part because the parasite expresses a surface protein called Pfs47 that allows it to evade the mosquito immune system. Here we investigate how this protein changes the response of mosquito midgut epithelial cells to invasion by the parasite. Pfs47 is known to interact with P47Rec, a mosquito midgut receptor. We found that Pf47Rec inhibits caspase-mediated apoptosis by interacting with the Hsc70-3. This disrupts nitration of midgut epithelial cells invaded by the parasite and the release of hemocyte-derived microvesicles, which are critical for effective activation of the mosquito complement system that eliminates the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Luiz Alves e Silva
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Gaspar E. Canepa
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Brendan Sweeney
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Patricia Hessab Alvarenga
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ming Zhao
- Research Technology Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Joel Vega-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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Fontecha G, Escobar D, Ortiz B, Pinto A. A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of Plasmodium falciparum Strains in Central America. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7080149. [PMID: 35893657 PMCID: PMC9394469 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7080149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The elimination of malaria requires strengthening diagnosis and offering adequate and timely treatment. Imported cases of falciparum malaria represent a major challenge for pre-elimination areas, such as Central America, where chloroquine and primaquine continue to be used as first-line treatment. The pfs47 gene has been previously described as a precise molecular marker to track the geographic origin of the parasite. The aim of this study was to design a simple and low-cost technique using the polymorphic region of pfs47 to assess the geographic origin of P. falciparum strains. A PCR-RFLP technique was developed and evaluated using the MseI enzyme that proved capable of discriminating, with reasonable precision, the geographical origin of the parasites. This method could be used by national surveillance laboratories and malaria elimination programs in countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua in cases of malaria where an origin outside the Central American isthmus is suspected.
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Rougeron V, Daron J, Fontaine MC, Prugnolle F. Evolutionary history of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium simium in the Americas. Malar J 2022; 21:141. [PMID: 35505431 PMCID: PMC9066938 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04132-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human-infecting species in the Americas. However, the origins of this parasite in this continent are still debated. Similarly, it is now accepted that the existence of Plasmodium simium is explained by a P. vivax transfer from humans to monkey in America. However, many uncertainties still exist concerning the origin of the transfer and whether several transfers occurred. In this review, the most recent studies that addressed these questions using genetic and genomic approaches are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rougeron
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa.
| | - Josquin Daron
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
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Tai KY, Dhaliwal J, Balasubramaniam V. Leveraging Mann-Whitney U test on large-scale genetic variation data for analysing malaria genetic markers. Malar J 2022; 21:79. [PMID: 35264165 PMCID: PMC8905822 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04104-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The malaria risk analysis of multiple populations is crucial and of great importance whilst compressing limitations. However, the exponential growth in diversity and accumulation of genetic variation data obtained from malaria-infected patients through Genome-Wide Association Studies opens up unprecedented opportunities to explore the significant differences between genetic markers (risk factors), particularly in the resistance or susceptibility of populations to malaria risk. Thus, this study proposes using statistical tests to analyse large-scale genetic variation data, comprising 20,854 samples from 11 populations within three continents: Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Methods Even though statistical tests have been utilized to conduct case–control studies since the 1950s to link risk factors to a particular disease, several challenges faced, including the choice of data (ordinal vs. non-ordinal) and test (parametric vs. non-parametric). This study overcomes these challenges by adopting the Mann–Whitney U test to analyse large-scale genetic variation data; to explore the statistical significance of markers between populations; and to further identify the highly differentiated markers. Results The findings of this study revealed a significant difference in the genetic markers between populations (p < 0.01) in all the case groups and most control groups. However, for the highly differentiated genetic markers, a significant difference (p < 0.01) was present for most genetic markers with varying p-values between the populations in the case and control groups. Moreover, several genetic markers were observed to have very significant differences (p < 0.001) across all populations, while others exist between certain specific populations. Also, several genetic markers have no significant differences between populations. Conclusions These findings further support that the genetic markers contribute differently between populations towards malaria resistance or susceptibility, thus showing differences in the likelihood of malaria infection. In addition, this study demonstrated the robustness of the Mann–Whitney U test in analysing genetic markers in large-scale genetic variation data, thereby indicating an alternative method to explore genetic markers in other complex diseases. The findings hold great promise for genetic markers analysis, and the pipeline emphasized in this study can fully be reproduced to analyse new data. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04104-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Yee Tai
- School of Information Technology, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jasbir Dhaliwal
- School of Information Technology, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Vinod Balasubramaniam
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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Onyango SA, Ochwedo KO, Machani MG, Omondi CJ, Debrah I, Ogolla SO, Lee MC, Zhou G, Kokwaro E, Kazura JW, Afrane YA, Githeko AK, Zhong D, Yan G. Genetic diversity and population structure of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum surface protein Pfs47 in isolates from the lowlands in Western Kenya. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260434. [PMID: 34843560 PMCID: PMC8629314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum parasites have evolved genetic adaptations to overcome immune responses mounted by diverse Anopheles vectors hindering malaria control efforts. Plasmodium falciparum surface protein Pfs47 is critical in the parasite’s survival by manipulating the vector’s immune system hence a promising target for blocking transmission in the mosquito. This study aimed to examine the genetic diversity, haplotype distribution, and population structure of Pfs47 and its implications on malaria infections in endemic lowlands in Western Kenya. Cross-sectional mass blood screening was conducted in malaria endemic regions in the lowlands of Western Kenya: Homa Bay, Kombewa, and Chulaimbo. Dried blood spots and slide smears were simultaneously collected in 2018 and 2019. DNA was extracted using Chelex method from microscopic Plasmodium falciparum positive samples and used to genotype Pfs47 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. Thirteen observed haplotypes of the Pfs47 gene were circulating in Western Kenya. Population-wise, haplotype diversity ranged from 0.69 to 0.77 and the nucleotide diversity 0.10 to 0.12 across all sites. All the study sites displayed negative Tajima’s D values although not significant. However, the negative and significant Fu’s Fs statistical values were observed across all the study sites, suggesting population expansion or positive selection. Overall genetic differentiation index was not significant (FST = -0.00891, P > 0.05) among parasite populations. All Nm values revealed a considerable gene flow in these populations. These results could have important implications for the persistence of high levels of malaria transmission and should be considered when designing potential targeted control interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley A. Onyango
- Department of Zoological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre of Excellence for Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Kevin O. Ochwedo
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre of Excellence for Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Maxwell G. Machani
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Collince J. Omondi
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre of Excellence for Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Isaiah Debrah
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre of Excellence for Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Sidney O. Ogolla
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Ming-Chieh Lee
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Guofa Zhou
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Kokwaro
- Department of Zoological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - James W. Kazura
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Yaw A. Afrane
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Andrew K. Githeko
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (GY)
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DZ); (GY)
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Mario-Vásquez JE, Naranjo-González CA, Montiel J, Zuluaga LM, Vásquez AM, Tobón-Castaño A, Bedoya G, Segura C. Association of variants in IL1B, TLR9, TREM1, IL10RA, and CD3G and Native American ancestry on malaria susceptibility in Colombian populations. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 87:104675. [PMID: 33316430 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Host genetics is an influencing factor in the manifestation of infectious diseases. In this study, the association of mild malaria with 28 variants in 16 genes previously reported in other populations and/or close to ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) selected was evaluated in an admixed 736 Colombian population sample. Additionally, the effect of genetic ancestry on phenotype expression was explored. For this purpose, the ancestral genetic composition of Turbo and El Bagre was determined. A higher Native American ancestry trend was found in the population with lower malaria susceptibility [odds ratio (OR) = 0.416, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.234-0.740, P = 0.003]. Three AIMs presented significant associations with the disease phenotype (MID1752, MID921, and MID1586). The first two were associated with greater malaria susceptibility (D/D, OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.06-4.69, P = 0.032 and I/D-I/I, OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.18-3.87, P = 0.011, respectively), and the latter has a protective effect on the appearance of malaria (I/I, OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.08-0.40, P < 0.0001). After adjustment by age, sex, municipality, and genetic ancestry, genotype association analysis showed evidence of association with malaria susceptibility for variants in or near IL1B, TLR9, TREM1, IL10RA, and CD3G genes: rs1143629-IL1B (G/A-A/A, OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21-0.78, P = 0.0051), rs352139-TLR9 (T/T, OR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.11-0.72, P = 0.0053), rs352140-TLR9 (C/C, OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20-0.87, P = 0.019), rs2234237-TREM1 (T/A-A/A, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.23-0.79, P = 0.0056), rs4252246-IL10RA (C/A-A/A, OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.18-3.75, P = 0.01), and rs1561966-CD3G (A/A, OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06-0.69, P = 0.0058). The results showed the participation of genes involved in immunological processes and suggested an effect of ancestral genetic composition over the traits analyzed. Compared to the paisa population (Antioquia), Turbo and El Bagre showed a strong decrease in European ancestry and an increase in African and Native American ancestries. Also, a novel association of two single nucleotide polymorphisms with malaria susceptibility was identified in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Eliécer Mario-Vásquez
- Grupo Genética Molecular (GENMOL), Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 430. Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Jehidys Montiel
- Grupo Malaria-Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Lina M Zuluaga
- Grupo Malaria-Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ana M Vásquez
- Grupo Malaria-Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Alberto Tobón-Castaño
- Grupo Malaria-Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 610, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Gabriel Bedoya
- Grupo Genética Molecular (GENMOL), Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 430. Medellín, Colombia
| | - Cesar Segura
- Grupo Malaria-Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 53 No. 61-30, Lab 610, Medellín, Colombia.
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Ndiaye T, Sy M, Gaye A, Siddle KJ, Park DJ, Bei AK, Deme AB, Mbaye A, Dieye B, Ndiaye YD, Ndiaye IM, Diallo MA, Diongue K, Volkman SK, Badiane AS, Ndiaye D. Molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum by multiplexed amplicon deep sequencing in Senegal. Malar J 2020; 19:403. [PMID: 33172455 PMCID: PMC7654156 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03471-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular epidemiology can provide important information regarding the genetic diversity and transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, which can assist in designing and monitoring elimination efforts. However, malaria molecular epidemiology including understanding the genetic diversity of the parasite and performing molecular surveillance of transmission has been poorly documented in Senegal. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) offers a practical, fast and high-throughput approach to understand malaria population genetics. This study aims to unravel the population structure of P. falciparum and to estimate the allelic diversity, multiplicity of infection (MOI), and evolutionary patterns of the malaria parasite using the NGS platform. METHODS Multiplex amplicon deep sequencing of merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and merozoite surface protein 2 (PfMSP2) in fifty-three P. falciparum isolates from two epidemiologically different areas in the South and North of Senegal, was carried out. RESULTS A total of 76 Pfmsp1 and 116 Pfmsp2 clones were identified and 135 different alleles were found, 56 and 79 belonged to the pfmsp1 and pfmsp2 genes, respectively. K1 and IC3D7 allelic families were most predominant in both sites. The local haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) were higher in the South than in the North for both genes. For pfmsp1, a high positive Tajima's D (TD) value was observed in the South (D = 2.0453) while negative TD value was recorded in the North (D = - 1.46045) and F-Statistic (Fst) was 0.19505. For pfmsp2, non-directional selection was found with a highly positive TD test in both areas and Fst was 0.02111. The mean MOI for both genes was 3.07 and 1.76 for the South and the North, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between areas (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION This study revealed a high genetic diversity of pfmsp1 and pfmsp2 genes and low genetic differentiation in P. falciparum population in Senegal. The MOI means were significantly different between the Southern and Northern areas. Findings also showed that multiplexed amplicon deep sequencing is a useful technique to investigate genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of P. falciparum infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolla Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - Mouhamad Sy
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Amy Gaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Daniel J Park
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy K Bei
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Awa B Deme
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Aminata Mbaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Baba Dieye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Yaye Die Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Mbaye Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mamadou Alpha Diallo
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Khadim Diongue
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Sarah K Volkman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aida Sadikh Badiane
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Tagliamonte MS, Yowell CA, Elbadry MA, Boncy J, Raccurt CP, Okech BA, Goss EM, Salemi M, Dame JB. Genetic Markers of Adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to Transmission by American Vectors Identified in the Genomes of Parasites from Haiti and South America. mSphere 2020; 5:e00937-20. [PMID: 33087522 PMCID: PMC7580960 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00937-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, was introduced into Hispaniola and other regions of the Americas through the slave trade spanning the 16th through the 19th centuries. During this period, more than 12 million Africans were brought across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and other regions of the Americas. Since malaria is holoendemic in West Africa, a substantial percentage of these individuals carried the parasite. St. Domingue on Hispaniola, now modern-day Haiti, was a major port of disembarkation, and malaria is still actively transmitted there. We undertook a detailed study of the phylogenetics of the Haitian parasites and those from Colombia and Peru utilizing whole-genome sequencing. Principal-component and phylogenetic analyses, based upon single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in protein coding regions, indicate that, despite the potential for millions of introductions from Africa, the Haitian parasites share an ancestral relationship within a well-supported monophyletic clade with parasites from South America, while belonging to a distinct lineage. This result, in stark contrast to the historical record of parasite introductions, is best explained by a severe population bottleneck experienced by the parasites introduced into the Americas. Here, evidence is presented for targeted selection of rare African alleles in genes which are expressed in the mosquito stages of the parasite's life cycle. These genetic markers support the hypothesis that the severe population bottleneck was caused by the required adaptation of the parasite to transmission by new definitive hosts among the Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) spp. found in the Caribbean and South America.IMPORTANCE Historical data suggest that millions of P. falciparum parasite lineages were introduced into the Americas during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which would suggest a paraphyletic origin of the extant isolates in the Western Hemisphere. Our analyses of whole-genome variants show that the American parasites belong to a well-supported monophyletic clade. We hypothesize that the required adaptation to American vectors created a severe bottleneck, reducing the effective introduction to a few lineages. In support of this hypothesis, we discovered genes expressed in the mosquito stages of the life cycle that have alleles with multiple, high-frequency or fixed, nonsynonymous mutations in the American populations which are rarely found in African isolates. These alleles appear to be in gene products critical for transmission through the anopheline vector. Thus, these results may inform efforts to develop novel transmission-blocking vaccines by identifying parasite proteins functionally interacting with the vector that are important for successful transmission. Further, to the best of our knowledge, these are the first whole-genome data available from Haitian P. falciparum isolates. Defining the genome of these parasites provides genetic markers useful for mapping parasite populations and monitoring parasite movements/introductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano S Tagliamonte
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Charles A Yowell
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Maha A Elbadry
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jacques Boncy
- Laboratoire National de Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Christian P Raccurt
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Quisqueya, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Bernard A Okech
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Erica M Goss
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Marco Salemi
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John B Dame
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Garcia S. Pandemics and Traditional Plant-Based Remedies. A Historical-Botanical Review in the Era of COVID19. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:571042. [PMID: 32983220 PMCID: PMC7485289 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.571042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pandemics are as old as humanity and since ancient times we have turned to plants to find solutions to health-related problems. Traditional medicines based mostly on plants are still the only therapeutic possibility in many developing countries, but even in the richest ones, herbal formulation currently receives increased attention. Plants are natural laboratories whose complex secondary metabolism produces a wealth of chemical compounds, leading to drug discovery - 25% of widespread use drugs are indeed of plant origin. Their therapeutic potential is even bigger: although many plant-based compounds show inhibitory effects against a myriad of pathogens, few reach the stage of clinical trials. Their mechanism of action is often unknown, yet traditional plant-based remedies have the advantage of a long-term experience in their use, usually of hundreds to thousands of years, and thus a precious experience on their safety and effects. Here I am providing a non-systematic historical-botanical review of some of the most devastating pandemics that humanity has faced, with a focus on plant therapeutic uses. I will revisit the Middle Ages black death, in which a plant-based lotion (the four thieves vinegar) showed some effectiveness; the smallpox, a viral disease that lead to the discovery of vaccination but for which the native Americans had a plant ally, an interesting carnivorous plant species; tuberculosis and the use of garlic; the Spanish flu and the widespread recommendation of eating onions, among other plant-based treatments; and malaria, whose first effective treatment, quinine, came from the bark of a Peruvian tree, properties already known by the Quechua people. Synthetic analogues of quinine such as chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are now being revisited for the treatment of COVID19 symptoms, as they are artemisinin and derivatives, other plant-based compounds effective against malaria. Finally, I will give some hints on another facet of plants to aid us in the prevention of infectious diseases: the production of biotechnological plant-based vaccines. Altogether, my aim is to stress the significant role of plants in global health (past, present and future) and the need of enhancing and protecting the botanical knowledge, from systematics to conservation, from ecology to ethnobotany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sònia Garcia
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Correa R, Caballero Z, De León LF, Spadafora C. Extracellular Vesicles Could Carry an Evolutionary Footprint in Interkingdom Communication. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:76. [PMID: 32195195 PMCID: PMC7063102 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are minute particles secreted by the cells of living organisms. Although the functional role of EVs is not yet clear, recent work has highlighted their role in intercellular communication. Here, we expand on this view by suggesting that EVs can also mediate communication among interacting organisms such as hosts, pathogens and vectors. This inter-kingdom communication via EVs is likely to have important evolutionary consequences ranging from adaptation of parasites to specialized niches in the host, to host resistance and evolution and maintenance of parasite virulence and transmissibility. A potential system to explore these consequences is the interaction among the human host, the mosquito vector and Plasmodium parasite involved in the malaria disease. Indeed, recent studies have found that EVs derived from Plasmodium infected red blood cells in humans are likely mediating the parasite's transition from the asexual to sexual stage, which might facilitate transmission to the mosquito vector. However, more work is needed to establish the adaptive consequences of this EV signaling among different taxa. We suggest that an integrative molecular approach, including a comparative phylogenetic analysis of the molecules (e.g., proteins and nucleic acids) derived from the EVs of interacting organisms (and their closely-related species) in the malaria system will prove useful for understanding interkingdom communication. Such analyses will also shed light on the evolution and persistence of host, parasite and vector interactions, with implications for the control of vector borne infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Correa
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama.,Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Zuleima Caballero
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama
| | - Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carmenza Spadafora
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama
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11
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Martinez-Villegas L, Assis-Geraldo J, Koerich LB, Collier TC, Lee Y, Main BJ, Rodrigues NB, Orfano AS, Pires ACAM, Campolina TB, Nacif-Pimenta R, Baia-da-Silva DC, Duarte APM, Bahia AC, Rios-Velásquez CM, Lacerda MVG, Monteiro WM, Lanzaro GC, Secundino NFC, Pimenta PFP. Characterization of the complete mitogenome of Anopheles aquasalis, and phylogenetic divergences among Anopheles from diverse geographic zones. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219523. [PMID: 31479460 PMCID: PMC6720026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole mitogenome sequences (mtDNA) have been exploited for insect ecology studies, using them as molecular markers to reconstruct phylogenies, or to infer phylogeographic relationships and gene flow. Recent Anopheles phylogenomic studies have provided information regarding the time of deep lineage divergences within the genus. Here we report the complete 15,393 bp mtDNA sequences of Anopheles aquasalis, a Neotropical human malaria vector. When comparing its structure and base composition with other relevant and available anopheline mitogenomes, high similarity and conserved genomic features were observed. Furthermore, 22 mtDNA sequences comprising anopheline and Dipteran sibling species were analyzed to reconstruct phylogenies and estimate dates of divergence between taxa. Phylogenetic analysis using complete mtDNA sequences suggests that A. aquasalis diverged from the Anopheles albitarsis complex ~28 million years ago (MYA), and ~38 MYA from Anopheles darlingi. Bayesian analysis suggests that the most recent ancestor of Nyssorhynchus and Anopheles + Cellia was extant ~83 MYA, corroborating current estimates of ~79–100 MYA. Additional sampling and publication of African, Asian, and North American anopheline mitogenomes would improve the resolution of the Anopheles phylogeny and clarify early continental dispersal routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Martinez-Villegas
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana Assis-Geraldo
- Biosystems Informatics and Genomics Group, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Leonardo B Koerich
- Laboratory of Physiology of Haematophagous Insects, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Travis C Collier
- Daniel K. Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC), United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Hilo, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Yoosook Lee
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Bradley J Main
- Davis Arbovirus Research and Training, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Nilton B Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alessandra S Orfano
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana C A M Pires
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thais B Campolina
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael Nacif-Pimenta
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Djane C Baia-da-Silva
- Institute of Clinical Research Borborema, Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Ana P M Duarte
- Institute of Clinical Research Borborema, Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Ana C Bahia
- Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Marcus V G Lacerda
- Institute of Clinical Research Borborema, Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Institute Leonidas and Maria Deane, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, FIOCRUZ, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Wuelton M Monteiro
- Institute of Clinical Research Borborema, Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Gregory C Lanzaro
- Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Nagila F C Secundino
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Paulo F P Pimenta
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology, Institute René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Institute of Clinical Research Borborema, Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Graduation Program in Tropical Medicine, Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil
- Foundation of Tropical Medicine Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brazil
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12
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Castillo AI, Nelson ADL, Lyons E. Tail Wags the Dog? Functional Gene Classes Driving Genome-Wide GC Content in Plasmodium spp. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:497-507. [PMID: 30689842 PMCID: PMC6385630 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites are valuable models to understand how nucleotide composition affects mutation, diversification, and adaptation. No other observed eukaryotes have undergone such large changes in genomic Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content as seen in the genus Plasmodium (∼30% within 35-40 Myr). Although mutational biases are known to influence GC content in the human-infective Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum; no study has addressed how different gene functional classes contribute to genus-wide compositional changes, or if Plasmodium GC content variation is driven by natural selection. Here, we tested the hypothesis that certain gene processes and functions drive variation in global GC content between Plasmodium species. We performed a large-scale comparative genomic analysis using the genomes and predicted genes of 17 Plasmodium species encompassing a wide genomic GC content range. Genic GC content was sorted and divided into ten equally sized quantiles that were then assessed for functional enrichment classes. In agreement that selection on gene classes may drive genomic GC content, trans-membrane proteins were enriched within extreme GC content quantiles (Q1 and Q10). Specifically, variant surface antigens, which primarily interact with vertebrate immune systems, showed skewed GC content distributions compared with other trans-membrane proteins. Although a definitive causation linking GC content, expression, and positive selection within variant surface antigens from Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium berghei, and Plasmodium falciparum could not be established, we found that regardless of genomic nucleotide composition, genic GC content and expression were positively correlated during trophozoite stages. Overall, these data suggest that, alongside mutational biases, functional protein classes drive Plasmodium GC content change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreina I Castillo
- School of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley
| | | | - Eric Lyons
- BIO5 Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona
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13
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Pike A, Dimopoulos G. Genetic modification of Anopheles stephensi for resistance to multiple Plasmodium falciparum strains does not influence susceptibility to o'nyong'nyong virus or insecticides, or Wolbachia-mediated resistance to the malaria parasite. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195720. [PMID: 29634777 PMCID: PMC5892925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes that have been genetically engineered for resistance to human pathogens are a potential new tool for controlling vector-borne disease. However, genetic modification may have unintended off-target effects that could affect the mosquitoes' utility for disease control. We measured the resistance of five genetically modified Plasmodium-suppressing Anopheles stephensi lines to o'nyong'nyong virus, four classes of insecticides, and diverse Plasmodium falciparum field isolates and characterized the interactions between our genetic modifications and infection with the bacterium Wolbachia. The genetic modifications did not alter the mosquitoes' resistance to either o'nyong'nyong virus or insecticides, and the mosquitoes were equally resistant to all tested P. falciparum strains, regardless of Wolbachia infection status. These results indicate that mosquitoes can be genetically modified for resistance to malaria parasite infection and remain compatible with other vector-control measures without becoming better vectors for other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Pike
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Immune Response and Evasion Mechanisms of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites. J Immunol Res 2018; 2018:6529681. [PMID: 29765991 PMCID: PMC5889876 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6529681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria causes approximately 212 million cases and 429 thousand deaths annually. Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the vast majority of deaths (99%) than others. The virulence of P. falciparum is mostly associated with immune response-evading ability. It has different mechanisms to evade both Anopheles mosquito and human host immune responses. Immune-evading mechanisms in mosquito depend mainly on the Pfs47 gene that inhibits Janus kinase-mediated activation. Host complement factor also protects human complement immune attack of extracellular gametes in Anopheles mosquito midgut. In the human host, evasion largely results from antigenic variation, polymorphism, and sequestration. They also induce Kupffer cell apoptosis at the preerythrocytic stage and interfere with phagocytic functions of macrophage by hemozoin in the erythrocytic stage. Lack of major histocompatibility complex-I molecule expression on the surface red blood cells also avoids recognition by CD8+ T cells. Complement proteins could allow for the entry of parasite into the red blood cell. Intracellular survival also assists the escape of malarial parasite. Invading, evading, and immune response mechanisms both in malaria vector and human host are critical to design appropriate vaccine. As a result, the receptors and ligands involved in different stages of malaria parasites should be elucidated.
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15
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Molina-Cruz A, Canepa GE, Barillas-Mury C. Plasmodium P47: a key gene for malaria transmission by mosquito vectors. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 40:168-174. [PMID: 29229188 PMCID: PMC5739336 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites that have a complex life cycle. The parasite protein P47 is critical for disease transmission. P47 mediates mosquito immune evasion in both Plasmodium berghei (Pbs47) and Plasmodium falciparum (Pfs47), and has been shown to be important for optimal female gamete fertility in P. berghei. Pfs47 presents strong geographic structure in natural P. falciparum populations, consistent with natural selection of Pfs47 haplotypes by the mosquito immune system as the parasite adapted to new vector species worldwide. These key functions make Plasmodium P47 an attractive target to disrupt malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States.
| | - Gaspar E Canepa
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States.
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16
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Abstract
Malaria parasite ookinetes must traverse the vector mosquito midgut epithelium to transform into sporozoite-producing oocysts. The Anopheles innate immune system is a key regulator of this process, thereby determining vector competence and disease transmission. The role of Anopheles innate immunity factors as agonists or antagonists of malaria parasite infection has been previously determined using specific single Anopheles-Plasmodium species combinations. Here we show that the two C-type lectins CTL4 and CTLMA2 exert differential agonistic and antagonistic regulation of parasite killing in African and South American Anopheles species. The C-type lectins regulate both parasite melanization and lysis through independent mechanisms, and their implication in parasite melanization is dependent on infection intensity rather than mosquito-parasite species combination. We show that the leucine-rich repeat protein LRIM1 acts as an antagonist on the development of Plasmodium ookinetes and as a regulator of oocyst size and sporozoite production in the South American mosquito Anopheles albimanus. Our findings explain the rare observation of human Plasmodium falciparum melanization and define a key factor mediating the poor vector competence of Anopheles albimanus for Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are vectored to humans by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. The mosquito’s innate immune system is actively engaged in suppressing Plasmodium infection. Studies on mosquito immunity revealed multiple factors that act as either facilitators or inhibitors of Plasmodium infection, but these findings were mostly based on single Anopheles-Plasmodium species combinations, not taking into account the diversity of mosquito and parasite species. We show that the functions of CTL4 and CTLMA2 have diverged in different vector species and can be both agonistic and antagonistic for Plasmodium infection. Their protection against parasite melanization in Anopheles gambiae is dependent on infection intensity, rather than the mosquito-parasite combination. Importantly, we describe for the first time how LRIM1 plays an essential role in Plasmodium infection of Anopheles albimanus, suggesting it is a key regulator of the poor vector competence of this species.
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17
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Molecular Analysis of Pfs47-Mediated Plasmodium Evasion of Mosquito Immunity. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168279. [PMID: 27992481 PMCID: PMC5167319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium falciparum parasites that is transmitted through the bites of infected anopheline mosquitoes. P. falciparum dispersal from Africa, as a result of human migration, required adaptation of the parasite to several different indigenous anopheline species. The mosquito immune system can greatly limit infection and P. falciparum evolved a strategy to evade these responses that is mediated by the Pfs47 gene. Pfs47 is a polymorphic gene with signatures of diversifying selection and a strong geographic genetic structure at a continental level. Here, we investigated the role of single four amino acid differences between the Pfs47 gene from African (GB4 and NF54) and a New World (7G8) strains that differ drastically in their ability to evade the immune system of A. gambiae L35 refractory mosquitoes. Wild type NF54 and GB4 parasites can survive in this mosquito strain, while 7G8 parasites are eliminated. Our studies indicate that replacement in any of these four single amino acids in Pfs47 from the NF54 strain by those present in 7G8, completely disrupts the ability of NF54 parasites to hide from the mosquito immune system. One of these amino acid replacements had the opposite effect on A. albimanus mosquitoes, and enhanced infection. We conclude that malaria transmission involves a complex interplay between the genetic background of the parasite and the mosquito and that Pfs47 can be critical in this interaction as it mediates Plasmodium immune evasion through molecular interactions that need to be precise in some parasite/vector combinations.
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18
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The s48/45 six-cysteine proteins: mediators of interaction throughout the Plasmodium life cycle. Int J Parasitol 2016; 47:409-423. [PMID: 27899328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During their life cycle Plasmodium parasites rely upon an arsenal of proteins that establish key interactions with the host and vector, and between the parasite sexual stages, with the purpose of ensuring infection, reproduction and proliferation. Among these is a group of secreted or membrane-anchored proteins known as the six-cysteine (6-cys) family. This is a small but important family with only 14 members thus far identified, each stage-specifically expressed during the parasite life cycle. 6-cys proteins often localise at the parasite surface or interface with the host and vector, and are conserved in different Plasmodium species. The unifying feature of the family is the s48/45 domain, presumably involved in adhesion and structurally related to Ephrins, the ligands of Eph receptors. The most prominent s48/45 members are currently under functional investigation and are being pursued as vaccine candidates. In this review, we examine what is known about the 6-cys family, their structure and function, and discuss future research directions.
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19
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Molina-Cruz A, Zilversmit MM, Neafsey DE, Hartl DL, Barillas-Mury C. Mosquito Vectors and the Globalization of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Annu Rev Genet 2016; 50:447-465. [PMID: 27732796 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120215-035211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a devastating public health problem. Recent discoveries have shed light on the origin and evolution of Plasmodium parasites and their interactions with their vertebrate and mosquito hosts. P. falciparum malaria originated in Africa from a single horizontal transfer between an infected gorilla and a human, and became global as the result of human migration. Today, P. falciparum malaria is transmitted worldwide by more than 70 different anopheline mosquito species. Recent studies indicate that the mosquito immune system can be a barrier to malaria transmission and that the P. falciparum Pfs47 gene allows the parasite to evade mosquito immune detection. Here, we review the origin and globalization of P. falciparum and integrate this history with analysis of the biology, evolution, and dispersal of the main mosquito vectors. This new perspective broadens our understanding of P. falciparum population structure and the dispersal of important parasite genetic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852;
| | - Martine M Zilversmit
- Richard Guilder Graduate School and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024
| | - Daniel E Neafsey
- Genome Sequencing and Analysis Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Daniel L Hartl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852;
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20
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Characterization and comparative profiling of the small RNA transcriptomes in the Hemipteran insect Nilaparvata lugens. Gene 2016; 595:83-91. [PMID: 27693372 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small RNAs involved in various biological processes through negative regulation of mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level. The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is one of the most serious and destructive insect pests of rice. In the present study, two small RNA libraries of virulent N. lugens populations (Biotype I survives on susceptive rice variety TN1 and Biotype Y survives on moderately resistant rice variety YHY15) were constructed and sequenced using the high-throughput sequencing technology in order to identify the relationship between miRNAs of N.lugens and adaptation of BPH pests to rice resistance. In total 15,758,632 and 11,442,592 reads, corresponding to 3,144,026 and 2,550,049 unique sequences, were obtained in the two libraries (BPH-TN1 and BPH-YHY15 libraries), respectively. A total of 41 potential novel miRNAs were predicted in the two libraries, and 26 miRNAs showed significantly differential expression between two libraries. All miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in the BPH-TN1 library. Target genes likely regulated by these differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using computational prediction. The functional annotation of target genes performed by Gene Ontology enrichment (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis (KEGG) indicated that a majority of differential miRNAs were involved in "Metabolism" pathway. These results provided an understanding of the role of miRNAs in BPH to adaptability of BPH on rice resistance, and will be useful in developing new control strategies for host defense against BPH.
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21
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Hupalo DN, Luo Z, Melnikov A, Sutton PL, Rogov P, Escalante A, Vallejo AF, Herrera S, Arévalo-Herrera M, Fan Q, Wang Y, Cui L, Lucas CM, Durand S, Sanchez JF, Baldeviano GC, Lescano AG, Laman M, Barnadas C, Barry A, Mueller I, Kazura JW, Eapen A, Kanagaraj D, Valecha N, Ferreira MU, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W, Sattabonkot J, Gamboa D, Kosek M, Vinetz JM, González-Cerón L, Birren BW, Neafsey DE, Carlton JM. Population genomics studies identify signatures of global dispersal and drug resistance in Plasmodium vivax. Nat Genet 2016; 48:953-8. [PMID: 27348298 PMCID: PMC5347536 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is a major public health burden, responsible for the majority of malaria infections outside Africa. We explored the impact of demographic history and selective pressures on the P. vivax genome by sequencing 182 clinical isolates sampled from 11 countries across the globe, using hybrid selection to overcome human DNA contamination. We confirmed previous reports of high genomic diversity in P. vivax relative to the more virulent Plasmodium falciparum species; regional populations of P. vivax exhibited greater diversity than the global P. falciparum population, indicating a large and/or stable population. Signals of natural selection suggest that P. vivax is evolving in response to antimalarial drugs and is adapting to regional differences in the human host and the mosquito vector. These findings underline the variable epidemiology of this parasite species and highlight the breadth of approaches that may be required to eliminate P. vivax globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Hupalo
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zunping Luo
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Patrick L Sutton
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter Rogov
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ananias Escalante
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Myriam Arévalo-Herrera
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, Cali, Colombia
- Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Qi Fan
- Dalian Institute of Biotechnology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Third Military Medical University, Shapingba, Chongqing, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Moses Laman
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua, New Guinea
| | - Celine Barnadas
- Vector Borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter &Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Alyssa Barry
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Global Health (ISGLOBAL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - James W Kazura
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex Eapen
- National Institute of Malaria Research Field Unit, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Epidemiology Campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Deena Kanagaraj
- National Institute of Malaria Research Field Unit, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Epidemiology Campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Neena Valecha
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Marcelo U Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabonkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Instituto de Medicine Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Margaret Kosek
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Instituto de Medicine Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lilia González-Cerón
- Regional Centre for Research in Public Health, National Institute for Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, México
| | - Bruce W Birren
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel E Neafsey
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jane M Carlton
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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Frederick J, Saint Jean Y, Lemoine JF, Dotson EM, Mace KE, Chang M, Slutsker L, Le Menach A, Beier JC, Eisele TP, Okech BA, Beau de Rochars VM, Carter KH, Keating J, Impoinvil DE. Malaria vector research and control in Haiti: a systematic review. Malar J 2016; 15:376. [PMID: 27443992 PMCID: PMC4957415 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1436-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haiti has a set a target of eliminating malaria by 2020. However, information on malaria vector research in Haiti is not well known. This paper presents results from a systematic review of the literature on malaria vector research, bionomics and control in Haiti. METHODS A systematic search of literature published in French, Spanish and English languages was conducted in 2015 using Pubmed (MEDLINE), Google Scholar, EMBASE, JSTOR WHOLIS and Web of Science databases as well other grey literature sources such as USAID, and PAHO. The following search terms were used: malaria, Haiti, Anopheles, and vector control. RESULTS A total of 132 references were identified with 40 high quality references deemed relevant and included in this review. Six references dealt with mosquito distribution, seven with larval mosquito ecology, 16 with adult mosquito ecology, three with entomological indicators of malaria transmission, eight with insecticide resistance, one with sero-epidemiology and 16 with vector control. In the last 15 years (2000-2015), there have only been four published papers and three-scientific meeting abstracts on entomology for malaria in Haiti. Overall, the general literature on malaria vector research in Haiti is limited and dated. DISCUSSION Entomological information generated from past studies in Haiti will contribute to the development of strategies to achieve malaria elimination on Hispaniola. However it is of paramount importance that malaria vector research in Haiti is updated to inform decision-making for vector control strategies in support of malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Frederick
- />Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Yvan Saint Jean
- />Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | | | - Ellen M. Dotson
- />Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Kimberly E. Mace
- />Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Michelle Chang
- />Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Laurence Slutsker
- />Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | | | - John C. Beier
- />Division of Environment & Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL USA
| | - Thomas P. Eisele
- />Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA USA
| | - Bernard A. Okech
- />Department of Environmental and Global Health College of Public Health and Health Professions, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Valery Madsen Beau de Rochars
- />Department of Health Service Research Management and Policy of College of Public Health and Health Professions, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Gainesville, FL USA
- />The Carter Center, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Keith H. Carter
- />Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, Washington, DC USA
| | - Joseph Keating
- />Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA USA
| | - Daniel E. Impoinvil
- />Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
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23
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Mosquito vectors of ape malarias: Another piece of the puzzle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:5153-4. [PMID: 27118843 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604913113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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24
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Kumar A, Hosmani R, Jadhav S, de Sousa T, Mohanty A, Naik M, Shettigar A, Kale S, Valecha N, Chery L, Rathod PK. Anopheles subpictus carry human malaria parasites in an urban area of Western India and may facilitate perennial malaria transmission. Malar J 2016; 15:124. [PMID: 26919828 PMCID: PMC4769513 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1177-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background India contributes 1.5–2 million annual confirmed cases of malaria. Since both parasites and vectors are evolving rapidly, updated information on parasite prevalence in mosquitoes is important for vector management and disease control. Possible new vector-parasite interactions in Goa, India were tested. Methods A total of 1036 CDC traps were placed at four malaria endemic foci in Goa, India from May 2013 to April 2015. These captured 23,782 mosquitoes, of which there were 1375 female anopheline specimens with ten species identified using morphological keys. Mosquito DNA was analysed for human and bovine blood as well as for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infection. Results Human host feeding was confirmed in Anopheles stephensi (30 %), Anopheles subpictus (27 %), Anopheles jamesii (22 %), Anopheles annularis (26 %), and Anopheles nigerrimus (16 %). In contrast, Anopheles vagus, Anopheles barbirostris, Anopheles tessellates, Anopheles umbrosus and Anopheles karwari specimens were negative for human blood. Importantly, An. subpictus, which was considered a non-vector in Goa and Western India, was found to be a dominant vector in terms of both total number of mosquitoes collected as well as Plasmodium carriage. Plasmodium infections were detected in 14 An. subpictus (2.8 %), while the traditional vector, An. stephensi, showed seven total infections, two of which were in the salivary glands. Of the 14 An. subpictus infections, nested PCR demonstrated three Plasmodium infections in the salivary glands: one P. vivax and two mixed infections of P. falciparum and P. vivax. In addition, ten gut infections (one P. vivax, six P. falciparum and three mixed infections) were seen in An. subpictus. Longitudinal mosquito collections pointed to a bimodal annual appearance of An. subpictus to maintain a perennial malaria transmission cycle of both P. vivax and P. falciparum in Goa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwani Kumar
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | | | - Shivaji Jadhav
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Trelita de Sousa
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Ajeet Mohanty
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Milind Naik
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Adarsh Shettigar
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Satyajit Kale
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Campal, Goa, India.
| | - Neena Valecha
- National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR), Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, India.
| | - Laura Chery
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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25
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Lin JT, Ubalee R, Lon C, Balasubramanian S, Kuntawunginn W, Rahman R, Saingam P, Heng TK, Vy D, San S, Nuom S, Burkly H, Chanarat N, Ponsa C, Levitz L, Parobek C, Chuor CM, Somethy S, Spring M, Lanteri C, Gosi P, Meshnick SR, Saunders DL. Microscopic Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytemia and Infectivity to Mosquitoes in Cambodia. J Infect Dis 2015; 213:1491-4. [PMID: 26667316 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although gametocytes are essential for malaria transmission, in Africa many falciparum-infected persons without smear-detectable gametocytes still infect mosquitoes. To see whether the same is true in Southeast Asia, we determined the infectiousness of 119 falciparum-infected Cambodian adults to Anopheles dirus mosquitoes by membrane feeding. Just 5.9% of subjects infected mosquitoes. The 8.4% of patients with smear-detectable gametocytes were >20 times more likely to infect mosquitoes than those without and were the source of 96% of all mosquito infections. In low-transmission settings, targeting transmission-blocking interventions to those with microscopic gametocytemia may have an outsized effect on malaria control and elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
| | - Ratawan Ubalee
- Departments of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chanthap Lon
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences
| | | | - Worachet Kuntawunginn
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rifat Rahman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
| | - Piyaporn Saingam
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Dav Vy
- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Phnom Penh
| | | | - Sarath Nuom
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences
| | - Hana Burkly
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nitima Chanarat
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chanudom Ponsa
- Departments of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lauren Levitz
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health
| | - Christian Parobek
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | | | | | - Michele Spring
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Charlotte Lanteri
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panita Gosi
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - David L Saunders
- Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
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26
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Plasmodium evasion of mosquito immunity and global malaria transmission: The lock-and-key theory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:15178-83. [PMID: 26598665 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1520426112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria originated in Africa and became global as humans migrated to other continents. During this journey, parasites encountered new mosquito species, some of them evolutionarily distant from African vectors. We have previously shown that the Pfs47 protein allows the parasite to evade the mosquito immune system of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. Here, we investigated the role of Pfs47-mediated immune evasion in the adaptation of P. falciparum to evolutionarily distant mosquito species. We found that P. falciparum isolates from Africa, Asia, or the Americas have low compatibility to malaria vectors from a different continent, an effect that is mediated by the mosquito immune system. We identified 42 different haplotypes of Pfs47 that have a strong geographic population structure and much lower haplotype diversity outside Africa. Replacement of the Pfs47 haplotypes in a P. falciparum isolate is sufficient to make it compatible to a different mosquito species. Those parasites that express a Pfs47 haplotype compatible with a given vector evade antiplasmodial immunity and survive. We propose that Pfs47-mediated immune evasion has been critical for the globalization of P. falciparum malaria as parasites adapted to new vector species. Our findings predict that this ongoing selective force by the mosquito immune system could influence the dispersal of Plasmodium genetic traits and point to Pfs47 as a potential target to block malaria transmission. A new model, the "lock-and-key theory" of P. falciparum globalization, is proposed, and its implications are discussed.
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27
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Laporta GZ, Linton YM, Wilkerson RC, Bergo ES, Nagaki SS, Sant'Ana DC, Sallum MAM. Malaria vectors in South America: current and future scenarios. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:426. [PMID: 26283539 PMCID: PMC4539674 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1038-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria remains a significant public health issue in South America. Future climate change may influence the distribution of the disease, which is dependent on the distribution of those Anopheles mosquitoes competent to transmit Plasmodium falciparum. Herein, predictive niche models of the habitat suitability for P. falciparum, the current primary vector Anopheles darlingi and nine other known and/or potential vector species of the Neotropical Albitarsis Complex, were used to document the current situation and project future scenarios under climate changes in South America in 2070. METHODS To build each ecological niche model, we employed topography, climate and biome, and the currently defined distribution of P. falciparum, An. darlingi and nine species comprising the Albitarsis Complex in South America. Current and future (i.e., 2070) distributions were forecast by projecting the fitted ecological niche model onto the current environmental situation and two scenarios of simulated climate change. Statistical analyses were performed between the parasite and each vector in both the present and future scenarios to address potential vector roles in the dynamics of malaria transmission. RESULTS Current distributions of malaria vector species were associated with that of P. falciparum, confirming their role in transmission, especially An. darlingi, An. marajoara and An. deaneorum. Projected climate changes included higher temperatures, lower water availability and biome modifications. Regardless of future scenarios considered, the geographic distribution of P. falciparum was exacerbated in 2070 South America, with the distribution of the pathogen covering 35-46% of the continent. As the current primary vector An. darlingi showed low tolerance for drier environments, the projected climate change would significantly reduce suitable habitat, impacting both its distribution and abundance. Conversely, climate generalist members of the Albitarsis Complex showed significant spatial and temporal expansion potential in 2070, and we conclude these species will become more important in the dynamics of malaria transmission in South America. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that climate and landscape effects will elevate the importance of members of the Albitarsis Complex in malaria transmission in South America in 2070, highlighting the need for further studies addressing the bionomics, ecology and behaviours of the species comprising the Albitarsis Complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Zorello Laporta
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. .,Laboratório de Informática Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. .,Setor de Pós-graduação, Pesquisa e Inovação, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil.
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Division of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. .,Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, USA. .,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. .,Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Richard C Wilkerson
- Division of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. .,Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, USA. .,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Eduardo Sterlino Bergo
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias (SUCEN), Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
| | - Sandra Sayuri Nagaki
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Denise Cristina Sant'Ana
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maria Anice Mureb Sallum
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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28
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Villarreal-Treviño C, Vásquez GM, López-Sifuentes VM, Escobedo-Vargas K, Huayanay-Repetto A, Linton YM, Flores-Mendoza C, Lescano AG, Stell FM. Establishment of a free-mating, long-standing and highly productive laboratory colony of Anopheles darlingi from the Peruvian Amazon. Malar J 2015; 14:227. [PMID: 26024853 PMCID: PMC4465318 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0733-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anopheles darlingi is the main malaria vector in the Amazon region and is among the most efficient malaria vectors worldwide. However, due to the lack of a well-established laboratory colony, key control-relevant aspects of the bionomics, behaviour, genetics, and vector-parasite relationships of An. darlingi remain unknown. Here, biological parameters that had been successful in initiating other Anopheles colonies were optimized and improved for An. darlingi, with the aim of establish a free-mating, stable, and highly productive laboratory colony. Methods Wild An. darlingi adult females were field collected from Zungarococha, Loreto Department, Peru (03°49′32.40″S, 73°21′00.08″W), and taken to the NAMRU-6 Insectary in Iquitos where F1 offspring were produced and reared. Natural copulation was successfully induced in F1 adults under a thermoperiod of 30 ± 1 °C during the day and 25 ± 1 °C at night, and with a 30-min LED light stimulation period at dusk. Oviposition success was enhanced using egg-laying containers with a dark-coloured surface. Larval feeding regimes were standardized for optimal larval development. Optimized copulation induction methods were used to facilitate mating in An. darlingi until the F10 generation. No copulation induction assistance was needed in subsequent generations. Results In 19 generations, the An. darlingi colony produced a total of 763,775 eggs; 441,124 larvae; 248,041 pupae; and 231,591 adults. A mean of 0.56 sexual encounters/female/cage (n = 36 cages) was recorded across the first ten generations (F1-F10). A mean insemination rate of 54.7 % (n = 5,907 females) ranging from 43.6 % (F2) to 66.6 % (F10) was recorded across nine generations (F2-F10). Free-mating was casually observed in the F8 generation, and subsequently confirmed in the F9 and F10 generations; comparable insemination rates and egg laying between stimulated (51.6 %, 12.9 eggs/female), and non-stimulated (52.3 %, 11.2 eggs/female) females were recorded. The time from egg to adult development ranged from 10 to 20 days. Moreover, the colony was relocated to a new laboratory within Iquitos in the F14 generation without any noted changes in its productivity. By March 2015, the An. darlingi colony has been successfully reared to the F26 generation. Conclusions This constitutes the first report of a free-mating, highly productive, and long-standing An. darlingi laboratory colony established through natural copulation induction, which will support critical malaria research. This rearing methodology may be a transferable, cost-effective alternative to labour-intensive forced mating practices widely used in maintaining other Anopheles colonies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0733-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuauhtémoc Villarreal-Treviño
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública/Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CRISP/INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | - Gissella M Vásquez
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Victor M López-Sifuentes
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Karin Escobedo-Vargas
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Anibal Huayanay-Repetto
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, USA. .,Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. .,Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Carmen Flores-Mendoza
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Andrés G Lescano
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
| | - Frederick M Stell
- Department of Entomology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Bellavista, Callao, Peru.
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